Stocking -- Where do you start?

[Cormag001]

Hello all!

I've had my heart set on starting my own aquarium for a while now, and this week I have been focused on researching everything I'll need to know to start my journey. There are tons of great resources here and all over the web -- thank you guys for the work you put in!

The one thing that I am still struggling with is perhaps the most "simple" part -- when the time comes to stock the aquarium, where should I start? I am hesitant to purchase the supplies I need simply because I do not yet have a "plan" for the kind of fish I want to have. As a general question -- where did/do you guys typically start your thought process in 'designing' an aquarium?

For my more specific case, there are a few things I know. I'd like a 20 gallon tank and I plan to include tetras and corydoras or cory catfish. I read that tetras are not a good thing to introduce first (after fishless cycling) -- should I get a pair of fish to be a "centerpiece" first? What recommendations do you guys have?

I apologize if my question is too elementary or if you feel the board has answered similar questions many times before. I have just read quite a bit about this topic and it seems like flexibility is encouraged -- but I want structure!

Thank you!

 

[fearlessfisch]

Oh, you're at the fun part!



I recommend spending hours on youtube watching beautiful videos of tanks and getting ideas! Search for "aquarium," the size tank you plan to have, and any keywords that are important to you--for example, fish that you definitely want to include (tetras, rainbowfish, livebearers, gouramis, loaches, cories, etc.), or "planted" or "colorful" or "peaceful community" or whatever. The pictures section here is great for getting ideas, too. Pay attention to what draws your eye in terms of substrate colors and design, as well as fish. If you are a beginner but want plants, check out a few videos on easy beginner, low-tech plants, too.



Every time I go on youtube, I get new ideas for aquascaping and fish. My love of rainbowfish (and realization that there are dwarf varieties as well as the big ones!) came from doing this, as well as the inspiration to build a glass bridge from one tank to another.



If you want a more structured way to consider fish, you might visit an aquarium store online that has pretty pictures and an organized list of fish that they sell--something like liveaquaria.com or aquariumfishsale.com. Then you can search by category or see similar alternatives to fish you may have in mind. Then go to youtube and see the fish in action.




When you have gathered some ideas about what types of fish you might like, you can go to aqadvisor.com, a great little website that lets you enter your tank size and play around with stocking options. The site will warn you if you are overstocking, mixing fish that aren't compatible, or don't have enough filtration. It's not 100 percent accurate, but it can help you come up with a plan, and then you can post here and get actual human feedback.



One more thing: I have rarely known an aquarist who didn't wish they'd started out with a bigger tank than they started with. Larger tanks give so many more options for stocking, and they are actually easier to maintain. A larger volume of water means less chance for swings in water parameters. Go as big as you want to from the start.




Have fun!

 

[Cormag001]

Oh, you're at the fun part!

.....

Have fun!

Thank you so much for your reply! Youtube was actually a big source of inspiration for me to begin this whole thing.

It's interesting you bring up the bigger tank. I had read that it was actually easier to maintain the larger tanks but for some reason felt that as a "beginner" I should start small. I think I am coming around to adding a few more gallons though.

I've heard a lot about aqadvisor, but the website has never worked for me. Is it not down for everyone else? It appears like the domain is for sale.

I think I am going to look around for a fish that really catches my eye and see what kinds of setups people have on youtube, as you recommended. Thank you!

 

[fearlessfisch]

Make sure you are spelling the name of the website correctly. There is no "U" in the address. It's "aqadvisor.com." I put a "u" in my original post to you but then corrected it. The site itself is sometimes down for short periods of time, but it was up the day I wrote my post to you, and it's up as I write this now.



I hope you'll post back when you get started. I think you will be very glad you went with a bigger tank. A water change/siphoning system that attaches to your sink is well worth the expense to make water changes easy.

 

[Autumnsky]

If you look at the space you have available, a 36" wide tank would give you lots of options. A bowfront 46G, or a great option is a 40G breeder.

Figuring a great community tank having some bottom fish like the Cories and a mid upper group of fish and a mid to lower group the above sizes are really nice.

A 36G bowfront is a pretty nice tank as well and it is 30" wide. FYI

Knowing which fish are your favorites are the beginning. That gives you what type parameters the tank need to be. And then you select the fish which coexist well in temperament and water parameters.

Also think about which part of the tank the fish like to swim in.

Think about what shape they are. Having 3 groups of fish all the same body shape will not make as interesting tank as one with 3 different shapes.

ie. Neons Tetras, Rummy nose, Neon Green Kubotai and Glowlight Tetras all have torpedo bodies. These fish might have different colors and swim in different areas of the tank but wouldn't look as cool all the same shape fish.

Cories bottom

Neon or Green Tetras mid to lower

Middle
Harlequin Rasboras - Trigonostigma heteromorpha, Lemon Tetra, Flame/Von Rio Tetras,

Upper
Male Only Guppies or Endlers, Neon Green Kubotai /Green Kubotai Rasbora, Silver Hatchet

Centerpiece fish one male Gourami (dwarf if smaller tank, Pearl Gourami if larger) is a nice fish, or one Angelfish if you are getting the larger tank like a 46G.

Hope these ideas help!

I would stay away from live bearer groups having babies all the time.

Also would say that the Barbs are another group I would probably pass up for now. Cherry Barbs in a group, but make sure to get a male for 2-3 females ratio.

 

[Barliman]

I would stay away from live bearer groups having babies all the time.

Trust me, this is good advice.

Another way to start is to go to a few local fish stores and see what catches your eye. Resist the temptation to buy any fish or shrimp yet. Just get an idea of what you like and then research their needs and behaviors. Keep the size of your tank in mind. (Baby Oscars are cute, but not a good choice for a 20-l, to put it mildly). Post your ideas here and see what others have to say. (There are some good suggestions above)

I'd also recommend a book: "The 101 Best Freshwater Nano Species," by Denaro and O'Leary, a reference book to fish appropriate to a 20g tank that you can consult while you're at the store. Rachel O'Leary also has a YouTube channel that's a great resource.

A 20-gallon tank (I'm partial to 20-longs) gives you some fun choices. Let us know what you settle on.

 

[Cormag001]

Thank you all so much for the advice!

I decided to go a little bit bigger than 20 gallons and purchased a 37 gallon tank on Thursday. I have begun the cycling process and can't wait to get some fish in there.

Unfortunately, my LFS is closed because of the 'Rona, but I got some ideas from looking at Petsmart. I still haven't been able to make up my mind on a "centerpiece" fish, but I figure I have quite a bit of time to get that figured out.

As of right now, I think the first thing I am going to add is 6-8 zebrafish, followed by a few catfish. One catfish that really caught my eye was the ghost catfish -- but from reading about them, it seems they may be difficult to keep for a beginner. Backup plan is albino cories.

Thank you all for offering up so much advice! The one positive for a fishless cycle is a bit more time to think about stocking...

 

[Autumnsky]

Great to hear you got a good sized tank!

Glass cats are not difficult fish BUT they should only be added to a matured, stable tank environment!!!

Plus they are nearly invisible, and like lower / dimmed light and to high in a secure area like behind all your plants and DW!!! They are not exactly shy and love to eat! They are also slightly more expensive fish and they like a good sized group. More than 6. I have 5 or 6 can't tell because they are cloaked in secrecy behind the DW and Anubias, lol. (Planning for more when I move a group of big fish over to a new tank.)

Get them later! They are funny fish and have an iridescence / rainbow effect in lower light - like wiggly hungry crystals with ribs, rofl!